Becoming a British Citizen

PK Immigration Lawyers are experts in re-uniting families by bringing family members to the UK from overseas. Once you have achieved settled status in the UK, you are eligible to bring family members and dependants from overseas to join you to live in the UK.

An application for permanent residency in the UK can be made by people who have previously been successful in applying for a visa in Britain in a category leading to settlement.

Categories that can lead to an application for permanent residence in the UK include:

Ancestry

Tier 1 & 2

Marriage / Unmarried Spouse/Partners

EU Nationals and their dependants

Long Residency (after 10 years as a legal resident or after 20 years as a combination of illegal and legal residency in the United Kingdom)

A permanent resident visa for the UK has no time limit. Once granted, there are no immigration related restrictions upon the type of work or business a person with a permanent UK resident status may undertake.

It is important to note that holders of permanent residence should not spend periods of more than two years outside of the United Kingdom as this may lead to the loss of Indefinite Leave to Remain.

A person with Indefinite Leave to Remain will generally be eligible to apply for British Naturalisation as a UK citizen one year after the grant of settled status.

In order to qualify applicants need to demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the English language and life in Britain.

PK Immigration Lawyers have a wealth of experience in applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK. Please contact us directly to discuss your individual requirements.

Settlement

After you have lived legally in the UK for a certain length of time, usually five years, you may be able to apply for permission to settle in UK. This is known as 'indefinite leave to remain'.

Your right to apply for settlement will depend on your current immigration category. Most applicants will need to show that they have a knowledge of language and life in the UK by passing the Life in the UK Test.

You must be in the UK when you apply. The only migrants who can apply for settled status from outside the UK are certain partners and family members of British citizens and settled persons.

If you are already in the UK but you have not been here long enough to apply for settlement, you can apply to extend your temporary permission to stay.

Citizenship

British Naturalisation or British Citizenship, is the final UK immigration service required by foreign nationals with permanent resident status (i.e. with Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK) and who has spent a minimum of three - five years living and working in the UK.

It brings to a close the need for a further UK visa application or UK visa extension by providing people with full rights of citizenship, including a British Passport.

Benefits of UK Citizenship

The British Naturalisation service offers permanent residency in the UK as a British citizen and imposes no time restrictions upon the holder. A UK work permit or any other permission to reside in the UK is no longer required and successful candidates are free to seek and undertake work in the UK and throughout the EU without any restrictions.

Eligibility Requirements

British Naturalisation or British Citizenship, is the final UK immigration service required by foreign nationals with permanent resident status (i.e. with Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK) and who has spent a minimum of three - five years living and working in the UK.

It brings to a close the need for a further UK visa application or UK visa extension by providing people with full rights of citizenship, including a British Passport.